Prabhat Samgiita – Songs 1801-1900: Translations by Abhidevananda Avadhuta: Prabhat Samgiita, #19

By Shrii Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar

Shrii Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar (aka Shrii Shrii Anandamurti) is widely viewed as the preeminent spiritual master of the 20th Century. Among his many and varied achievements, he gave 5018 sublime songs, most of them in Bengali and all of them in the last eight years of his life. That collection of songs is known as Prabhat Samgiita (Songs of Prabhat). This book contains Abhidevananda's English translations of Songs 1801-1900 (second edition).

• Language: English
• Publisher: AmRevolution, Inc.
• Release date: Jan 5, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393595281

Book preview

Prabhat Samgiita

Songs 1801-1900

All melodies and original lyrics by Shrii Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar

English translations by Ac. Abhidevananda Avadhuta

A wonderful exposition of Baba's voluminous mystical work. With Abhidevananda's impeccable English and attention to both context and detail, these are far and away the best translations of Prabhat Samgiita ever done, bar none.  Ac. Bhaskarananda Avadhuta, author of Glimpses of a Mystery

Very fine translations of Prabhat Samgiita which are both accurate and poetic. Undoubtedly,

the best translations by far to date.  Ac. Gunamuktananda Avadhuta, P.R. Sarkar Institute

© 2021 Limited copyright in respect to translations only: Ac. Abhidevananda Avadhuta

© 1984-2021 Full copyright in respect to original lyrics and melodies: Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha on behalf of Shrii Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar

Graphic on cover by Tadeusz (Trilokesh) Majewski

Published by AmRevolution, Inc.

First Edition: 2021 January 5

Second Edition: 2021 May 10

Preface

Prabhat Samgiita is the collection of 5,018 songs composed by Shrii Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar, also known as Shrii Shrii Anandamurti and affectionately addressed as Baba. As the translater of this book's songs feels privileged to have been and to still be a disciple of the songs' composer, all further references to him (other than in formal citations) will be simply as Baba.

The first song of Prabhat Samgiita was given on 1982 September 14. The last song was given on 1990 October 20 (less than 24 hours before Baba's physical departure). All of the 100 songs that appear in this book were given over a period three and a half weeks from 1984 September 7 to October 2. All of the songs in this book were given in Kolkata from Baba’s Lake Gardens residence, known as Madhumálaiṋca (sweet flower garden).

Baba's songs cover a multitude of themes and genres. There are devotional songs, mystical songs, and revolutionary songs. There are folk songs, children's songs, women's songs, and ballads. There are wedding songs, birthday songs, and festival songs. Regardless of the theme or the way it is expressed, in every song there is a strong spiritual undercurrent, expressive of Baba's personal philosophy of Neohumanism.

Most of the song lyrics are in Bengali or a Bengali dialect.[n1] Nevertheless, the lyrics of over 40 songs are in other languages (including English, Samskrta, Hindi, Urdu, Magahi, Maithili, and Angika).

The melodies of Prabhat Samgiita represent most, if not all, of the major and even minor classical and folk styles of India. However, these Indian musical styles are often blended, occasionally for the first time, with musical styles from different parts of the world and different historical eras.[1][2] In addition, Prabhat Samgiita introduces many melodies that are original to Baba.

As Baba rarely gave titles to his songs, the songs are generally referenced by their first line. In other words, the first line of each song is usually treated as the song's title. On the rare occasions when the first line of more than one song is the same or similar to the first line of one or more other songs, the songs may be distinguished by the song number or the second line of the song. In this book, wherever identification of a song on the basis of the first line alone might be ambiguous, that song is distinguished by adding the second line of the song, customarily separated from the first line by a comma.

All of the material in this book (and more) will eventually be available free of charge on Sarkarverse. There may even be some corrections and updates there. Proceeds from the sale of this book will be used to support Sarkarverse and its affiliated projects, primarily PROUT Films.

Notes

Bengali is the sixth most-spoken language in the world. Its script is the sixth most-common script. The Roman script notation for Bengali used in this book was developed by Baba himself. For details on the notation, see Roman Bengali transliteration.

References

Sarkar, Shrii Prabhat Ranjan (1993) Acarya Vijayananda Avadhuta, ed. Prabhat Samgiita Volume 1 Kolkata: Ananda Marga Publications

ISBN81-7252-041-7

Sarkar, Shrii Prabhat Ranjan (1994) Acarya Vijayananda Avadhuta, ed. Prabhat Samgiita Volume 1 (in Bengali) (2nd ed.) Kolkata: Ananda Marga Publications ISBN81-7252-082-4

Introduction

There have been several translations of Prabhat Samgiita over the past 35 years since Baba gave his first composition. None, however, have been as

well-considered or as well-researched as these translations by Ac. Abhidevananda Avadhuta (Dada).

Prabhat Samgiita is a treasure trove of subtle devotional nuances that can only be deeply experienced and absorbed in the listening devotee's heart.

Such profound and intimate spiritual bháva can never be translated into any language as it lies beyond the world of words in an eternal sphere of cosmic inspiration. In Song 1745, Baba beautifully describes this realm.

The songs of Prabhat Samgiita are Baba's gift to humanity. They express all our most noble spiritual feelings as human beings, feelings in relation to our own minds as well as to all the expressed world – plants, animals, humans, human society, and the natural environment. Yet they are coming from one who was ensconsed in the realm of eternal, cosmic bháva. As such, these songs are Baba's multi-faceted expressions from the stance of mohan vijiṋána into the jewels of nandan vijiṋána. They help stir the latent feelings of spiritual ecstasy and spiritual mission in the devotee's heart.

It is no easy task to translate into English these jewels from the original Bengali, Bengali dialect, Urdu, or other language in which Baba chose to compose them. None of the other translations to date have been as painstakingly true to the literal and spiritual meaning as those by Ac. Abhidevananda. And so this book is an incredible labor of love. In it, Dada has achieved a sublime result. For those of us who are not familiar enough with the original language of these Prabhat Samgiita songs, Dada's translations offer an invaluable tool with which we may go deep into our own personal experience of the bháva of Baba's divine compositions.

Avadhutika Ananda Gaorii Acarya

Contents

1801      Malay vatase madhu nihshvase

1802      Tomare bhavi shudhu

1803      Amar katha dher hayeche

1804      Viithikay cala kale je giitika geye gele

1805      Bendhe rekhecho je more

1806      Tumi je gan geyechile phulavane

1807      He priya amar pran sabakar

1808      Bhul kare eso priya

1809      Tomake paboi prane prane

1810      Ke baleche kathor tumi

1811      Sarpila kutila pathe

1812      Shinjita nupure maneri madhukare

1813      Sara jadi nai ba dile prabhu

1814      Avarna dhara raunin hayeche

1815      Shono rauna kishalay

1816      Banshiir sure sure more tane

1817      Tumi bhule gecho more

1818      Tamasar parapare

1819      Phalgune priya je raun dhelecho

1820      Vatayane basi bhavi divanishi

1821      Ganer deshe elo sabuj parii

1822      Bhalo basi ami priya

1823      Chilum base base ami eka

1824      Sagara saekate sonalii prabhate

1825      Puspashakha anamika

1826      Sajaye rekhechi malika

1827      Bhul kare dure thekechi

1828      Acin desher megh bale gelo

1829      Sureri jhaunkare maneri mukure

1830      Tomay kache pelum ami

1831      Kena hese hese dure sare jao

1832      Kishalay ami marme marme

1833      Ekela ese shudhale hese hese

1834      Ajke bhore phuladore

1835      Pather shuru khunje paini

1836      Phagun eseche manete heseche

1837      Susmita candraloke

1838      Manus cak ba na cak

1839      Jyotisamudre jhaunkar tule

1840      Tomar madhurii makha nayane

1841      Bhevechilum bhule gecho

1842      Shudhai ni nam ke jena balilo

1843      Tomari surer srote aj prabhate

1844      Ke go tumi ei abelay

1845      Sabar mane rayecho gahane

1846      Nivira nishiitha shese

1847      Kon ajana aloke alokita kare

1848      Tomare jabe dekhechinu

1849      Bhulite cai tomay ami

1850      Ucchala jalataraunga sama tumi ele

1851      Je agun mane jvele diye gele

1852      Ei puspita kanane

1853      Mane ele raun dharale

1854      Ami parager rage naci go

1855      Gan gai tumi shono

1856      Jadi nayane na dekhi tava priya chavi

1857      Kanak canpa kanak canpa

1858      Eso manete eso

1859      Bhalabasa diye man kere niye

1860      Kal svapna dekhechi ami

1861      Kiser ashay kon se neshay

1862      Tomari nam niye dilum bhasiye

1863      Jiivaner ei balukabelay

1864      Andhar tithite esechile

1865      Andhare diip jvele jai

1866      Ami bhalo basini tomare

1867      Kalo jethay aloy meshe

1868      Tomay chilum bhule ami

1869      Megher deshe elo ke se

1870      Ke go tumi ajana atithi ele

1871      Ekante ese bale jao

1872      Niil akashe tarar deshe

1873      Sarita bahiya jay

1874      Sumanda vayu bay

1875      Tumi je path dekhaye diyecho, se pather kabhu nahi shes

1876      Dharar bandhan diyechile

1877      Aj mane pare balukabelay

1878      Megh asiya kaye gelo kane